Introduction

Salzburg Global Seminar is an independent non-profit organization founded in 1947 with a mission to challenge current and future leaders to shape a better world.

Together with our world-spanning network of 40,000 Fellows, we have been at the forefront of global movements for change for 75 years, with significant impact on individuals, institutions, and systems.

Whether at our home of Schloss Leopoldskron, online, or in locations around the world, our programs are inclusive, interdisciplinary, international and intergenerational, and are designed to provide a global lab for innovation and transformation.

We convene cohorts of passionate changemakers across diverse fields and backgrounds. We develop and curate networks that support collaboration, share innovations with new audiences, and expand our impact by working with partners around the globe.

We are supported by a combination of institutional partnerships, generous individual donations and revenue generated from our social enterprise, Hotel Schloss Leopoldskron.

Despite what our name may suggest, we’re pleased to say we host multiple programs throughout the year – online and in person. While each program has a session number, we refer to them individually as programs. These programs often take place underneath multi-year series. For example, the program “Global Disruption and Uncertain Horizons: How can Boards Navigate New Risks?” is part of the multi-year series, the Salzburg Global Corporate Governance Forum.

Schloss Leopoldskron is Salzburg Global’s historic home due to a chance encounter between Clemens Heller and Helene Thimig. Heller was one of Salzburg Global’s three co-founders, while Thimig was the widow of Max Reinhardt, the pre-war owner of Schloss Leopoldskron.

In 1947, Harvard students Heller, Richard Campbell, and Scott Elledge sought a venue to host what was then known as the Salzburg Seminar in American Civilization - an international forum for those seeking a better future for Europe and the world.

Heller had been a student of Thimig at the renowned Max Reinhardt Seminar for Performing Arts in Vienna. Following a chance meeting in early 1947 with Thimig on the New York subway, Heller secured the use of the Schloss for the first-ever Salzburg Seminar in American Studies, held for six weeks that summer.

In 1959, after over a decade of renting, Salzburg Seminar bought the Schloss outright. The neighboring Meierhof, which now houses most of Salzburg Global’s offices as well as 55 hotel rooms, was purchased in 1973. You can read more about the founding of Salzburg Global and the Schloss Leopoldskron’s history here.

In addition to Schloss Leopoldskron, Salzburg Global also has an office in Washington, DC at Eaton House.

Salzburg Global’s program participants automatically become part of Salzburg Global’s Fellowship. To become a program participant, check out our upcoming programs, and click on the “Register” tab to apply. Typically, we accept between 40 and 60 participants per program. You can see our upcoming programs here.

Our in-person programs are fully residential, with board and lodging included in the fee, from dinner on the opening day until breakfast on the departure day. Depending on the length of our programs, the price can vary. The fee for each program is visible on the individual program webpage. The cost does not include travel to and from Salzburg.

As we wish to bring together as diverse a group of Fellows as possible per program, the fee can vary depending on the financial circumstances of an individual applicant. Discounts are considered for organizations in non-OECD countries and NGOs, universities, research institutes, and think tanks. There are also limited partial scholarships available for some programs. Therefore, we strongly advise early registration.

For a limited number of outstanding early to mid-career applicants from developing countries, Salzburg Global and its partners offer scholarships, covering travel as well as program fees. We aim to bring together a unique mix of people, and we strongly encourage individuals from all parts of the world to apply.

Salzburg Global’s programs are not conferences; they are much more intimate, dynamic, and collaborative. Rather than just a space for speakers to deliver presentations and papers, our programs move participants beyond their “comfort zones” by being participatory, prompting candid dialogue and fresh thinking as we search for innovative but practical solutions.

Our exclusive setting enables Salzburg Global participants to step back from the world, share quality time, and form life-long bonds. The Schloss’ spacious atmosphere and beautiful surroundings leave a vivid and enduring imprint on Fellows’ memories, often described as the “Salzburg magic.” The serene atmosphere gives Fellows an opportunity for deep reflections and bonding while creating space to explore complex topics and arrive at potential solutions. Over breaks and meals, walks around the lake, drinks on the terrace, and evening social time, conversations begun during working sessions are continued, allowing for greater nuance, broader exploration, and enhanced creativity. Fellows are urged to be “tough on the issues, but kind on each other” at the beginning of each program.

Our programs in Salzburg are fully residential, with board and lodging offered in the Meierhof of Hotel Schloss Leopoldskron (the adjacent building to the Schloss). All meals are provided and are usually in the Schloss’ Marble Hall. These programs also incorporate informal evening events, including fireside chats and concerts hosted in our Great Hall, Schloss tours, and time set aside for socializing. Some programs also include excursions into Salzburg and the surrounding province.  

We also organize programs, Fellows’ reunions, and events in countries around the world, including, but not limited to, London, UK, and Washington, D.C.

The historic palace of Schloss Leopoldskron is the birthplace of the Salzburg Festival and is well-known for being a filming location in “The Sound of Music.” With 55 rooms, 12 suites, and three townhouses, Hotel Schloss Leopoldskron is an exclusive and discreet getaway just minutes from the center of Salzburg. You can stay at Hotel Schloss Leopoldskron and rent any of the Schloss rooms for weddings, banquets or conferences. Book a room and find out more about Hotel Schloss Leopoldskron’s facilities here.

Salzburg Global Fellows are welcome to visit on prior arrangement. If you are a Fellow and want to visit the Schloss, please email fellowship@SalzburgGlobal.org. Fellows are also entitled to a discount on hotel rooms. Please contact our reception team to make a booking, stating your name and the program you attended.

The 21st Century Trust brings together policy-makers, thought leaders, and people from across government, civil society, and the private sector to develop their thinking on global issues with a view to shaping a better 21st century.

In 2009 the trustees, led by Lord Patten of Barnes as Chair, took the view that the Trust would need to form a close alliance with another global organization to sustain its mission. It, therefore, developed a mutually supportive alliance with Salzburg Global Seminar, and many of the Trust’s Fellows became connected with the Salzburg Global Fellowship, also established at that time. Since then, the Trust has taken a lead in London events, including the Palliser Lecture series, named in memory of Sir Michael Palliser, the distinguished diplomat and supporter of international collaboration, a founding trustee of the Trust, and also Vice-Chair of Salzburg Global.

For more information, please visit 21stcenturytrust.org.